We are thankful for our volunteers and supporters who make our work possible, but we thought you would like to hear some thanks straight from those who benefit from your support:
“I have a whole new respect for the Red Cross.” -Quentin, Gahanna resident whose home was destroyed by fire.
“I can’t tell you what the help means to me.” - Darryl, Columbus man whose home went up in an early morning blaze.
“The Red Cross never gave up. I felt like they did everything they could and I was pleased with their effort.” - Mindy, Worthington mother who turned to the Red Cross to get an emergency message to her son serving away from home in the armed forces.
“Thank you is just not enough…there really aren’t words to express my appreciation for what you do for the families of our service men and women!” -Kim, Columbus mother who used Red Cross emergency communications to get in touch with her son serving in the navy.
To the world the American Red Cross is the helping hand during times of disaster. We are simply the vessel with which people are given the opportunity to perform extraordinary acts. Thank you for your support. Happy Thanksgiving!
Having responded to so many house and apartment fires over the years has had me running through the house like some mad man on a mission. Based on seeing a lot of the things I’ve seen and what actually caused a lot of house fires to start, I found myself changing some of my family’s day to day habits and purchasing some items for my home. Recent additions include an iron, coffee maker and curling iron/hair apparatus thingamajig that all have automatic shut-offs and an upgraded smoke detection system that sounds ALL detectors when any single detector goes off. In addition, we now never run the dryer or dishwasher when we aren’t home, are much more cautious on overloaded extension cords and clean our dryer vent on a regular basis.
I always considered myself somewhat “fire-resistant” in my home, but it seems as though you are NEVER “fire-resistant”. Still hasn’t prevented me from getting halfway to work and turning around to see if the stove is turned off, but certainly steps in the right direction. Make sure you are taking the right steps to stay safe this Thanksgiving with these tips. Happy Thanksgiving!
Like many Americans, I’ll be taking another road trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. My (doggie) brother will be riding in a crate in the back seat of the car. I’ll be wearing my car harness because I behave better in the car than my brother.
Even a short trip in the car requires some planning when you have pets. Always keep water in the car. And when you have well-watered pets … be prepared to make more stops. Of course when you do stop, make sure all your pets are restrained before you open a car door. Pets should always wear identification tags in case they get lost.
When I go to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house on Thanksgiving, they always have special dog treats for me. But when it comes to sharing the turkey dinner, they are not so generous. They won’t even throw me a turkey bone – they say that the bones can splinter and cause me to choke. The dog treats are good though. Happy Thanksgiving!
Note: Take a Pet First Aid class at the American Red Cross and learn what to do if your pet is choking.
Jody Wilson teaching a CPR/AED course. Photo by David L. Newman
After retiring from Delta Airlines, Jody Wilson was approached by a friend that suggested the Red Cross as her next gig. Having been trained yearly in CPR and first aid at Delta, Wilson wanted part-time experience in training and instructing. In May she joined the Red Cross as a health and safety instructor teaching CPR and First Aid.
Wilson loves the challenge of preparing for the “unique audience” she teaches to, and feels one of the greatest benefits—as she describes—is seeing her students being able to do the skills at the end of the course. One class stands out for Wilson, she explains, “A 10-year-old boy showed up to learn adult CPR, AED and first aid. He was with his dad but he was so excited about being there. He got a 100% on his skills and a 100% on his written test.”
As you can see from the example above CPR/AED and first aid can be a family affair. “It was just such a pleasure to have the boy in class and to know that someone that young is so eager to learn how to save a life,” says Jody. Make your CPR/AED and first aid training a family affair. Sign up for a class today!
Wow! What a difference a month makes! Since my last blog entry, the Central Ohio Area is now in the midst of immunization against H1N1, and President Obama has declared a state of emergency regarding the H1N1 pandemic in the United States. We are making history in terms of protection against a potentially deadly disease.
Recently, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the H1N1 clinic held at the Columbus City Health Dept. on Parson’s Ave on behalf of the American Red Cross. As I pulled into the parking lot to volunteer, families were lined up down the street, and a police officer was directing traffic into the building. The day I volunteered, over 2,000 high risk individuals received their H1N1 vaccination. Families of all different ethnic origins and backgrounds were wanting help that day. Many parents brought children hoping they would be immunized. After trained staff members gave individuals their vaccination, the Health Department asked that each person wait for 15 minutes so that we as a team could monitor them for any type of physical reaction. While I was volunteering my job was to observe patients for any reactions to the vaccine, the team I worked on actually witnessed very few reactions. A few people complained of sore arms where the injection was given, and few people were nervous about side effects.
The experience of helping the pubic and witnessing the efficiency of the Columbus Public Health Department made me so thankful for the opportunity to help that day. I encourage everyone to tune in to news outlets, like our local television stations, who are reporting nightly where the next immunization clinics will be held. According the Centers for Disease Control, 36,000 people die annually from the seasonal flu, and 200,000 wind up in the hospital due to seasonal flu complications. We need to do everything possible to prevent this new strain of the virus from affecting our loved ones. I am thankful that organizations like the local health departments, the CDC and our local Red Cross chapter are working together to keep us safe!
Compression-Only CPR enables untrained bystanders to react and respond when they witness an adult or adolescent suddenly collapse. Even when administering compression-only CPR it is important to know proper hand placement and pressure. Check out our “First Aid and CPRfor Everyone“ Compression-Only CPR trainer. This at-home kit includes a tool made out of sponge-like material that helps people practice applying the appropriate amount of pressure to administer chest compressions and don’t forget to take a full CPR/AED/First Aid course to fully prepare for emergencies.
The first step to keeping your pet healthy is to make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as you bring a new pet into your home. Your veterinarian will assess your new pet’s health, complete an exam and begin a vaccination program. It will be necessary to make yearly visits to your veterinarian for heartworm testing, vaccinations and an annual exam. It’s crucial to keep your pet’s vaccinations up-to-date.
I keep my medical and vaccination records in my disaster supplies kit. For more information on pets and disaster, click here. And please remember that even if your pet howls and runs away at the site of a pet carrier, or barks incessantly when it enters the vet’s office, vomits on the exam room floor or shivers and shakes when it realizes that the surprise car ride will be ending at the vet’s office, your pet loves you for keeping it happy and healthy. The American Red Cross also offers first aid books for dogs and cats to help you prepare for pet emergenices.
At our Board of Directors meeting recently, Directors received an update from Michelle Duffey, the chair of Friends of the Red Cross. The Friends engage young professionals (ages 25-45) in networking, fundraising and Red Cross service activities. If you are not busy this coming Monday, check out their latest event:
Friends of the Red Cross is taking over the Funny Bone at Easton for a night of laughter and good company! Tickets for this event are only $10 and all proceeds will go directly to the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus. Join us at 6:00pm for an hour of networking and the show will begin at 7:00pm. Local comics have volunteered their time for this event and waiters will be on hand if you would like to order food or drinks before or during the performances. Come and have some laughs with Friends!
While you may be aware that we connect military families during emergencies, take a look at this brief video to see how one family’s life was changed by this service.
Last year alone nearly 500 emergency communications were sent on behalf of local military families. Learn more today.
Thank you to all military members and military families. We salute you!
The American Red Cross links members of the U.S. Armed Forces with their families during a crisis. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, the Red Cross quickly sends emergency communications to deployed service members on behalf of their family. Military members can have peace of mind knowing that when they are on a mission, in training or stationed far from home-and leaving cell phones and emails behind-they are still connected to home.
While providing service to 1.4 million active duty military personnel and their families, the Red Cross also reaches out to more than 1.2 million members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families living in nearly every community in America.
Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications that link them with their families back home, access to financial assistance in partnership with the military aid societies, information and referral and assistance to veterans. Red Cross personnel form a global network in 700 U.S. chapters, military installations worldwide and in forward deployed locations in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. Learn how you can help here.
Friends of the Red Cross is taking over the Funny Bone at Easton for a night of laughter and good company! Tickets for this event are only $10 and all proceeds will go directly to the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus. Join us at 6:00pm for an hour of networking and the show will begin at 7:00pm. Local comics have volunteered their time for this event and waiters will be on hand if you would like to order food or drinks before or during the performances. Come and have some laughs with Friends!
Thank you to all military members and military families. We salute you!
Michael Carroll, CEO/Big Kahuna
Lynn C, Comm. & Marketing Boss
Scott, Aquatics & Training Guru
Stacie, Health & Safety Instructor
Lynn HG, Blogger Extraordinaire
Dee Dee, CTP Volunteer Driver
Jeff, Master Disaster Team Leader
Kevin, AmeriCorps Rockstar
Cricket, Doggie Blogger
